STEELERS HEAD COACH TALKS ABOUT HIS FAITH: Mike Tomlin, in front of hundreds of reporters, spoke of his relationship with Jesus Christ.

In an article by Art Stricklin (Baptist Press), he reports that the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Mike Tomlin, went public about his Christianity.

Someone Tomlin often speaks of with appreciation and respect, former Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy, who first brought Mike into the NFL as an assistant coach, did the same.


The Super Bowl XLIII between the Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals gave Tomlin an international platform to follow his mentor Dungy and speak about his faith in Jesus Christ.


"First and foremost, I want people to know who I am and what the most important thing is in my life, my relationship with Jesus Christ," Tomlin said in response to a Baptist Press question about his personal faith. "Football is what we do; faith is who we are all the time."


Tomlin attends Pittsburgh's Allegheny Center Alliance Church and was mentored and hired by Dungy as a defensive backs coach with Tampa Bay before Dungy moved on to Indianapolis.


When then-Pittsburgh coach Bill Cowher retired, Tomlin received the promotion.


"The biggest thing I learned from Tony Dungy was an unyielding belief in his message of faith," Tomlin recalled to the Baptist Press. "It was displayed all the time with him. He was extremely consistent and that's what I want to take to maximize my faith."


"It's a great blessing when a man of God is leading your team," defensive end Nick Eason said in the article. "It's like a godly father in the household."